"As commonly practiced, education has little to do with its specific setting or locality. The typical campus is mostly regarded as a place where learning occurs but is, itself, believed to be the source of no useful learning. It is intended, rather, to be convenient, efficient, or aesthetically pleasing, but not instructional. It neither requires nor facilitates competence or mindfulness. By that standard, the same education could happen as well in California or in Kazakhstan, or on Mars, for that matter." (Orr 1993)

All campuses have links to climate through rainfall landing on the campus grounds. All campuses have links to surface water as water lands on impervious buildings and parking lots. People travel to the campus by automobile and bus, which add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.

Education at most institutions does not link to the local context, yet the actual buildings and grounds can be studied, analyzed and even manipulated for research and education.

What is a campus living laboratory?

A living laboratory uses the campus buildings and grounds as teaching tools. A campus can be a used as a teaching tool in all of the parts of the geoscience umbrella, from the most specific geology class to the broadest introductory environmental studies class. Learn more about campus-based learning in the geosciences

Why use the campus as a living laboratory?

Campus living laboratory projects can provide hands-on, real-world projects that link to service-learning and civic engagement programs. Living laboratory education can also be accomplished even without a field trip budget or transportation. Learn more about why campus-based learning is effective